Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 793,830. PATENTED JULY 1, 1905. 3. HI" EIGHLER & J. BECKER. AGE'IYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION l-ILED JULY 26,1004.

are. reaeeo.

rirnn Srarius .ratenteu July 4t, 1905.

JOHN H. EICHLER AND JULIUS BECKER, OF SAN FRANUMOO, (lALlfllOltllIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1%! 0. 79:3,n30, dated July it, 1905.

Application filed July 26, 1904. Serial No, 218,182-

To all whom 71/; may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN H. Brennan, a citizen of the United States of America, and JULIUs BECKER, a subject of the German 5 Emperor, both residents of the city and county of San Francisco and State oi California, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Machines, of which the following is a specification.

[ This invention relates to apparatus for generating gas for illuminating purposes From calcium carbid, commonly known as acetylene-gas machines; and the invention has for its object chiefly the produc I tion of a machine or apparatus for family use and in situations where a self-regulating and. safe machine of simple construction is required.

In this machine the gas is generated only in such quantity as the consumption calls for, and the production is regulated automatically by the rapidity with which. the gas is drawn oil for use. The machine is there fore self-regulating in this respect and the usual storage-tank is dispensed with. This feature removes the great and principal source of danger which is connected with all machines that generate the gas in quantities to be distributed for use from. a tank or gasometer. The substance from which. the gas is made is lied to the machine in varying quantities as called for by the quantity of gas to be supplied, and the feed is regulated directly and automatically by the consumption of the 3 5 gas. Provision is also made for cleaning andv drying the generated gas directly in the machine between the generating-chamber and the distributing space or chamber from which the gas is drawn oil for use.

The nature of our said invention and the manner in which we proceed to construct, apply, and carry out the same are described at length in the following description and afterward pointed out in the claims at the end of 4.5 this specification, reference beng had. to the drawings forming part thereof.

Illn the said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation. in longitudinal section of a gas-machine embodying these implements. Fig. 2 is a 5o sectional View of the hell. or inverted cylinder that confines the gas. big. 3 is a plan of one 0]. the perloraled dislcs ol the purifying device, and Fig. 4t a side elevation of Fig. 3.

The )rinci .)al parts of the machine coinprise the shell or body A, the bell or inverted 5 5 cylinder B, and the holder 0 for the calcium. carbid.

.l.he body A contains the generating chanu her or compartment D and th e annular space E, in. which the end 0]. the inverted gas-.hold- 6o ing cylinder B is closed by the confined body o'l water ill. The s )aee ill for this water seal is divided from the generating-chamber l) and the space above it within. the inverted cylil'ider by a standing wall ll, concentric with the surroumling stationaryshell or body and by a horizontal partition G, ol which the inner cylinder ll may be a lixed or permanent part. Inv the center of the horizontal partition a standing tube ll rises li'rom an opening in. the partition, and its open top end stands on. a level with the top of the inner wall ll, or nearly so. This standing tube being open at both ends forms a passage for the generated gas from the generating-chamber upward 7 5 through thehorizontal partition to the con-- lined space under the movable cylinder B, and through this central opening the calciumv carbid is led from the holder (1 above. The space between the stairnling tube ll and the surrounding wall F is utilized for a gas clean.- ing and drying compartment, for which. purpose it is filled with. some suitable substance or material conilined betweenv perforated. disks I, that are supported one upon. another 8 5 at intervals apart by legs K on the under side 01 each dish. The substance used For this purpose is geiuirally composed 0]. or contains chlorate ol lime.

The calciurn-carbid. holder C a separate vesselo'F cylindrical sln'tpe, with. a sloping bot tom and an outlet in the centerol the bottom. it is supported above the gas-remdvirrg eompartmel'it by means of legs or standards socured to the body oil. the machine, sullieient room being all'ol'ded under the lmlder for the cylinder ll to rise and iliall under variations in. the quantity of gas confined in the space be neath.

The supply 01. calcium carbid to the gencr- I00 ating-chamber is varied in quantity, according to the rapidity with which the generated gas is drawn off for use, and is controlled directly by the rising and falling motions of the inverted cylinder by the following simple and l efl ective means: In the center of the closed top of the movable cylinder B an opening is surrounded by a rim 1), from which a tube P extends downwardly into the stationary standing tube H, and from the neck 19 a flexible tube S, extending upward, connects with the outlet in the bottom of the carbid-holder C. This tube is connected to the standing rim p and to a neck t, surrounding the outlet in the bottom of the holder, by slip-joints and clamping-rings V. It is made of a length of rubber tubing or other similar flexible material that will allow the tube to bend and collapse at some point between the two ends, and thus entirely close or reduce the size of the passage through the tube by the upward movement of the cylinder B and in degree according to the extent of such upward movement. For this purpose the tube S should be of proper length to hang perpendicularly down and maintain a passage through it of full area, while the cylinder B remains in its lowest position, and from that position the cylinder, rising under the pressure of the accumulating gas, reduces the size of the outlet passage from the bottom of the holder by con tracting or bending the flexible walls of the assage. This has the effect to reduce or cut off the supply of calcium carbid in propor tion to the rising movement of the cylinder B and also to cut off the same as often as the cylinder is elevated by the accumulating gas to a given point.

The holder C is filled through an aperture w in the top, closed by a screw-cap, and this being the only opening in the holder excepting the outlet in the bottom, that is connected directly with the conflned space under the cylinderB, the danger arising from the escape of gas from the holder or from the confined space below it is entirely removed.

Provision is made for replenishing the generating-chamber with water by an inlet-tube R, entering the side of the shell near the bottom of this chamber and extending perpendicularly upward on the side.

The generated gas is drawn ofl through a pipe coupled to an outlet in the side of the shell A at a point above the horizontal partition G, so that the gas is caused to pass through the cleaning and drying material before it can find an exit at the outlet. A cock y is provided in the pipe IV for regulating the outflow of gas.

That we claim is 1. In an acetylenegas machine, a generating-chamber; a gas-receiving chamber communicating therewith an d comprising a compartment having a water seal and an inverted closed-top cylinder vertically movable in 1 the water seal, and a tubular passage through the gas-chamber opening into the generatingchamber; a stationary calcium-carbid holder above the gas-chamber having an outlet-aperture in the bottom; and a flexible tube connectingthe said holder with an aperture in the top of the inverted cylinder and adapted by the rising motion of said cylinder to be bent out of a straight line.

2. In an acetylene-gas machine, a stationary receptacle for calcium carbid having an outlet-aperture in the bottom; in combination with a generating-chamber beneath said receptacle, a float situated above said chamber movable toward and from the outletopening in the carbid-receptacle and having its lower end immersed in and closed by a water seal andprovided with an aperture in the top for passage of the particles of the carbid, and a flexible tube connected to the outlet-aperture of the carbid-receptacle and to the opening in the float, the said tube being adapted by its flexure under the rising and falling motions of the float to furnish a conducting-passage of varying cross-sectional area.

3. In an acetylene-gas machine, a gasgenerating chamber, a float having an aperture in its top portion arranged above the gas-generating chamber and having a water seal, a tube or passage for conducting the gas from the generating-chamber to the space inclosed by the float, a stationary carbidholder located above the float having an aperture at the bottom thereof, and a tube extending from the carbid-holder through the aperture in the float and below the top of the conducting-tube, a portion of the tube between the float and carbid-holder being flexible, whereby as the float rises and falls the discharge of the carbid is automatically regulated, substantially as set forth.

4. In an acetylenegas machine, a generating-chamber, a gas-receiving chamber having a movable float and a Water seal therefor situated above the generating-chamber and a passage for introducing the calcium carbid into the generating-chamb er through the gasreceiving chamber, in combination with a calcium-carbid receptacle having an outlet aperture in the bottom, and a flexible tube connected to the outlet in the said receptacle and to the inlet end of the passage through the gas-receiving chamber said tube being adapted under the rising and falling motion of the float to depart from or to return to a normally perpendicular position.

5. In an acetylene-gas machine, a generating-chamber, a gas-receiving chamber comprising an inverted cylinder having a water seal, a stationary carbid-holder located above the gas-receiving chamber, and means for controlling the supply of the carbid from the holder to the generating-chamber comprising a substantially perpendicular flexible reaeeo tube for conducting the earbid to the generating-chamber, whereby as the inverted cylinder rises and falls the cross-sectional area of the said tube is varied to regulate the flow oi carbid from the oarbid-holder, substantially as set forth.

6. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of a stationary earbid-holder, a gasgenerating chamber into which the earbid. is delivered, and means for controlling the supply oi" the carbid from the holder to the generating-ehamber comprising a conduit for the carbid arranged between the holder and the generating-eh amber having a flexible portion, one end of the flexible portion of the condu it being movable in a direction toward & 

